Laighin Break wrote:Saili and Taute both starting in centre?! I thought there were reassurances that that wouldn't happen...

Rassie has his employers right where he wants them now.

Could also be that he feels it's the best centre pairing and hang whatever the IRFU wants. He may be looking at them for the rest of the season (or the big games anyway). I have sympathy with him if he's trying to win an ECC semi final against a side like current champions Saracens.

Laighin Break wrote:Saili and Taute both starting in centre?! I thought there were reassurances that that wouldn't happen...

Rassie has his employers right where he wants them now.

Could also be that he feels it's the best centre pairing and hang whatever the IRFU wants. He may be looking at them for the rest of the season (or the big games anyway). I have sympathy with him if he's trying to win an ECC semi final against a side like current champions Saracens.

Is it a sign that he's on the way out, so doesn't care about the 'rules' anymore?

If the shoe were on the other foot, I'd definitely rather have Scannel starting.

With Jean Kleyn already ruled out due to a neck injury, the additional blow to the second row options sees Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus call on the services of Sharks lock Jean Deysel on a three-month loan.

Or you could just face the inevitable that when a province signs two experienced centres they will actually play them ahead of developing Irish talent if at all possible. I mean, it's what they are paying for.

If the IRFU are happy. and they are paying for this, then they should be happy. And maybe they don't rate some Irish players as highly as most people do. And, obviously, the insider information that was vouched here from Munster posters was just actual pure distilled bullshit.

Datta: what have we given?My friend, blood shaking my heartThe awful daring of a moment's surrenderWhich an age of prudence can never retract What the thunder said to Brian Lenihan

fourthirtythree wrote:Well we were led to believe this was the case by the Munster posters on here who claimed to be in the know.

We now know not to trust those sources. So thanks for that.

Jesus this is hysterical stuff. Nacewa and Kirchener have both covered positions they weren't signed for. CALL NUCIFORAON THE OUTRAGE PHONE

What you do with NIQ signings (especially when their versatility was one of the reasons they were signed) when they're in quota isn't the same thing as signing internationals from top countries as medical jokers when you've gone way, way past the quota and promptly moving them to a different position.

They paid the big money to get them, they may as well play them for as long as they perform. But posters here called out the rationale for the signings as being on a flimsy pretext and it's pretty clear that they were right.

A coach's job is to put the best possible team on the field to get the best possible result for his employers at all times. Rassie Erasmus works within the rules as set down by the IRFU regarding NIQs even if at times it seems a bit close to the edge.1] Jaco Taute is primarily a centre who can cover other backline positions and has already done so2] Some people go on about Deysel playing in the back row but players in the back 5 of most packs are interchangeable between back and second rows (back five of pack) e.g. Henderson.